ADAM8 Deficiency in Macrophages Alleviates Vascular Calcification in Chronic Kidney Disease

BACKGROUND: Vascular calcification (VC) is an inflammatory disease driven by aberrant cellular processes in which macrophages play an important role. The A disintegrin and metalloproteinase 8 (ADAM8) protein is an important regulatory factor in macrophages and contributes to the development of inflammatory diseases. However, the relationship between ADAM8 and VC remains unknown. Thus, this study aimed to investigate the role of macrophage ADAM8 in VC. METHODS: was employed to achieve macrophage-specific overexpression. The relationship between macrophage ADAM8 and VC was studied in a VC mouse model of chronic kidney disease (CKD) by comparing VC severity between groups. RESULTS: knockout attenuated the development of CKD-associated VC, whereas macrophage-specific ADAM8 overexpression reversed the VC phenotype. CONCLUSION: ADAM8 levels are elevated in patients with aortic calcification and are associated with macrophage infiltration into vascular tissue and ADAM8 release, leading to increased VC. These findings identify ADAM8 as a promising novel therapeutic target for preventing VC.